The invention relates generally to agricultural equipment, and more specifically, to a deployable operator interface for an agricultural vehicle.
Various types of agricultural vehicles (e.g., sprayers, floaters, applicators, etc.) are employed to deliver fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides, or other products to the surface of a field. Such agricultural vehicles typically include a boom configured to facilitate product delivery over wide swaths of soil. In certain configurations, the boom is suspended from a rear frame of the vehicle, and extends laterally outward from a center section. In such configurations, the center section is supported by a mast that is coupled to the agricultural vehicle by a linkage assembly. The boom includes multiple spray nozzles distributed across the length of the boom to deliver product from a tank to the surface of the field. Prior to operation, the tank may be filled with product via a fluid inlet on an operator interface. For example, an operator may couple a supply line to the fluid inlet, open a valve on the operator interface to establish a flow path between the fluid inlet and the tank, and then initiate product flow through the supply line. In certain configurations, the operator interface also includes various other fluid inlets (e.g., fresh water inlet, dry product inlet, etc.) and/or additional valves (e.g., water recirculation valve, etc.).
The operator interface is typically positioned beneath the vehicle chassis to facilitate access by an operator. However, certain agricultural vehicles are configured to provide high ground clearance to facilitate operation during later stages of crop development. Such vehicles generally include a chassis positioned a sufficient distance about the soil surface to clear the crops. Consequently, if the operator interface is positioned beneath the chassis of a high-clearance vehicle, access to the operator interface may be reduced (e.g., the operator interface may be positioned above the head of the operator). Unfortunately, if the operator interface is suspended a significant distance below the chassis, the interface may contact the crops as the vehicle traverses the field.